The Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) has been implemented in Taita Taveta County, but residents have requested the government to stop since it is too expensive for them to administer.
Residents of Mwatate stated their opinions in front of the Presidential Education Reforms Taskforce on Tuesday, claiming that the new curriculum had put a significant financial strain on parents in light of the rising cost of living.
They complained that the parents bear the bulk of the daily expenses.
“Kenyans already carrying too much debt are plagued by this system. Due to our increased spending on educational supplies, we are not even receiving free education, according to parent Marriam Mwakalu.
Many parents, kids, and other education stakeholders attended the public forums.
Mwakalu warned the committee that failing to offer the necessary instructional materials puts students from low-income households at risk of psychological harm due to peer humiliation.
“Let the government figure out a method to put an end to this absurd idea of students bringing home pricey stuff that their parents can’t afford. Parents in remote areas struggle, she continued.
She advocated bringing back the 8-4-4 educational system and reintroducing courses in art, craft, home science, agriculture, and business.
Even though the CBC curriculum is effective at developing talent, according to Fr. Claude Mnyambo, it should be stopped until the government is prepared to hire more people.
He claimed that the system was hurried without the public’s input, leaving parents to bear the consequences.
“CBC is a useless system if the Teachers Service Commission does not hire enough teachers. Before more money is invested, it should be stopped, he added, noting that the Ministry of Education should also present a study outlining the viability of the new educational system in the nation.
Mnyambo also suggested that the ministry create a term plan so that parents could start preparing their kids at the start of a new term.
He said that the required theoretical and practical content is not disclosed to parents until the day of the activity.
How one is sent to fetch a saw is ludicrous.
Many parents, according to her, don’t have smartphones, and others scarcely have access to the internet, which makes it challenging for students to do projects.
“There is an excessive demand for downloading content from the internet, and many parents are unaware of how to do it. Additionally, many schools lack internet access, she noted, adding that every school need to have ICT capabilities.
Kiongo claimed that when working with indigenous students, non-local teachers also experience difficulties due to linguistic barriers.
Maina Ngunyi, a deputy county commissioner for Wundanyi, brought up concerns about the age at which students are moving from sixth grade to junior secondary.
He argued that since they are still so young, children at that age should not be separated from their parents for any reason.
